The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-05-08
THE MEANEST OF THE LOT.
4 Central Office Detective Enlight.
ems . Reporter.

.
Those are nice-looking young gen
tlemen, aren' they 2"rsmarked a wsll
known police headquarters oficer to 4
ksil aad Express reporter, few day,
ago. Indicating half dozen individu-
ais In fashionable attire lounging on the
sntiqus sofas which aIslsupplisd for the
comfort otkdSsts HI an uptown billiard
parlox. They were all in evening dress.
rhets was nothing loud or vulgar in
their appearance or actions but certain
indescribable iook, 'wssntraced on their
eountsnances by the detective. Now
any one not acquainted with them
might Jump at the olusionthat they
were young men about town with
plenty Ot9 money, either earned on
'Changs ORE Supplied BY q generous
father. Nothing Of the kind. phey are
aoout-towners to q marked degree.
They are always caboiYts town, THAI is
just the trouble, aspd a meaner SET OF
scoudrels could not be found. They
have no rich parents or other relatives.
aud no visible means Of support, and
work Is entirely foreign to their code.i >
Then what do they do foran exis
tsnce! They are contemplate sharp
ers. The worst sneak thief in the city
!: gentleman compared to any one of
that clique, but they adopt such low
lived methods that the police are power
less to gratity their inclination and lock
them up. In every, first class MOTEL,
billiard psrlor or public place these very
young nen may be seen at some hour
OF the day or night, always dressy and
refined, but always on the alert for VIC
tins. This is the way they work.
They sit around as they are doing now,
Watching those gentlemen play bill
isrds. Pretty soon some of the players
Will drop out, and then one of that set
will be requested by the scorer to take a
cue. VI course the scorer or attendant
stands in with them. By daily inter
course with the customers Of the estab-
lishment he has learned their ways, and
ne has no trouble in bringing the two
together for friendly game. One, OF
curse, is the prospective victim, and
the other is the sneak. They play a
couple of games and the gentleman is
allowed TO win. The sneak has "sized
up' his game before. To make the
game interesting he suggests small
wager. He wins by few points. By
careful conduct he averts suspicion, APP
pears to be gentleman, and invariably
comes out IS or $40 ahead. He never
risks much, no matter how sure he is OF
winning, for that would give the snap
away. a young man about town is
always in search OF fun and excitement,
and the sharper is artful enough to play
this same game night after night in the
same places, and often works his way
into respectable society By, his winning
ways. He never bets at the races, for
they are uncertain. Gambling is not in 1
calls sure thing. Learning first Just
how well his victim can play, he has
MIN in his clutches. There are num-
0oOk-keepers and others, who are often
glad to find some one to cross cues
with, even If he is stranger. TheTest
the accommodating young rascal who
plays simply to oblige his new-foundac-
1uaintance. 1t may seem strange, but
It is true.
'They lose few dollars occasionally,
lust to avert suspicion, but before going
% bed every night or morning they bal
snce accounts and find themselves
shead. No respectable gambling house
would allow them indoors, and the pro-
1rietor of this parlor would throw them |
Town stairs if he could only get cause. |
By their wits they manage to visit some
watering place in the summer, and |
Everything they do is perfectly iegiti- |
nate in the eyes of the law. The saw |
lust swindler is an honorable calling, |
md as for the confidence game, why, |
hat is profession TO be proud Of |
Vhen compared with this mean trick |
ry."